We have a tendency to jump from concrete operational problems straight into action steps without actually reflecting on why our systems failed. How do you use the four stages of experiential learning to help us analyze our weekly metrics and quarterly misses?

Many leadership teams suffer from an execution bias. When a metric is missed or a system fails, they immediately jump from the concrete experience of the failure to active experimentation with a new solution. They skip the critical middle stages of Kolb's model: reflective observation and abstract conceptualization. This results in implementing shallow, band-aid fixes that do not solve the root cause.

During our quarterly sessions, I force your team to slow down and move systematically through all four stages of the learning cycle. First, we look at the concrete experience. This is the hard data of the missed Rock or the off-track scorecard metric.

Next, we enter the reflective observation phase. We step back and ask objective questions about what actually happened, without assigning blame or defensiveness. We look at the gap between our expectations and the reality.

Then, we move to abstract conceptualization. This is where we analyze the underlying patterns and design new operational concepts or rules. We ask what systemic flaw allowed this failure to occur, and how we must adjust our operating model or training processes.

Only after we have completed these steps do we move to active experimentation. This is where we create a specific, actionable solution and assign it as a Rock or a weekly To-Do. By forcing your team to go through this complete cycle, we ensure that you are not just reacting to symptoms, but actually building a smarter, more resilient leadership team that learns from its mistakes.

Category: Working With Tyler